How to Crochet Bobble Stitch

Let's crochet bobble stitch - it's my latest "thing!" Here you can find out how to make bobbles, as well as discovering a few tips that will come in handy.

Let's start with what I call a "three stitch bobble" because you work into the chain (or another stitch) three times.

Here's a length of bobbles, one worked after another - it looks like there are four stitches, maybe, because the 5 ch we work between the bobbles ends up at the bottom of the bobble as we're looking at it:

This is simple to work: ch 5, bobble into 5th ch from hook. Then repeat for as long as you want!

But how do you crochet a bobble?

Bobble Stitch Step-by-Step

Step 1: ch 5; yarn round hook, hook into 5th chain from hook, pull through yarn.

I insert my hook under the top two loops of the chain in this pattern.

Now you have 3 loops on your hook:

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Step 2: Yarn round hook, pull through the first two loops on hook. Two loops now on hook:

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Step 3: Yarn round hook, insert hook into same chain stitch, pull yarn through. Four loops on hook:

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Step 4: Yarn round hook, pull through first two loops on hook. Three loops now on hook:

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Step 5: Yarn round hook, insert into same chain stitch, pull through yarn. Five loops on hook:

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Step 6: Yarn round hook, pull through first two loops on hook.

Four loops on hook - your initial loop, and three stitches for this bobble:

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Step 7: Now hold your four loops nice and straight!

Yarn round hook again, and draw the yarn all the way through the four loops:

There - a three stitch bobble! Now, some patterns will ask you to ch 1 to secure the bobble, others won't, depends on the pattern.

Next, we are going to make another bobble, and follow some written instructions!

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Step 8: ch 5:

Step 9: Work another bobble in exactly the same way!

Here it is written out for you:

*Yarn round hook, insert hook into 5th ch from hook, yarn round hook again, pull through yarn.

Yarn round hook, pull yarn through top two loops on hook*

Working into the same chain, repeat from * to * twice to make your second bobble:

Continue making bobbles by chaining 5 and working a bobble into the 5th chain from your hook.

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Crochet a bigger bobble!

Bigger bobbles are great fun - the trick is not to work too tight.

Keep your tension relaxed, or it becomes a fight between you and the yarn, and we don't want that!

Here's a five stitch bobble worked into a chain to begin a different pattern:

You simply work into the chain (or stitch) five times instead of three.

So: *Yarn round hook, insert hook into the chain or stitch, yarn round hook again, pull through.

Yarn round hook, pull yarn through top two loops on hook*

Repeat from * to * four times.

This is an example of a seven stitch bobble:

Working into the back of the chain that secures the bobble.

Sometimes I crochet into the back of the chain that may be worked to secure the bobble.

My stitch marker shows you where this is:

Here I have made three chain after finishing my bobble:

Then I worked seven dc (UK tr) into the back of the chain.

The back of the chain looks small at first, but work some stitches into it and it soon grows!

My heart garland pattern uses this technique.

The two sides of a bobble:

This is the front. An even look:

This is the back, with an attractive ridged effect:

OK - I hope you have fun practising bobbles! Now you're an expert, why not try making some of my...

crochet bobble braids!

There are six to choose from - you can start with the simple bobble braid which is a chain, then a bobble, then a chain, and so on, almost identical to the row of bobbles above :)

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